United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-023I
September 1998
www.epa.gov/osw
Shop Rite
Supermarkets
New Jersey
80% Recovery of Food Discards and Other Organics
In New Jersey, 25 Shop Rite stores divert 3,000 tons oforganics per year.
They collect a wide array of materials for off-site composting and rendering. As a
result, participating stores divert approximately 80% of their organics to a composting
facility and 90% of their total waste stream through recycling, including composting. On
average, stores realize a net savings of $57 per ton in avoided disposal costs.
Shop Rite Supermarkets began a pilot
composting program in 1994. By summer
1997, Shop Rite's compost program had
grown to include 25 stores. They off-site
compost a wide variety of organic materials,
including floral and produce trimmings and
spoils, out-of-date bakery items, old seafood,
soiled paper products, waxed corrugated
card board, food spills, and out-of-date dairy
and deli products. Composting
responsibilities are integrated into
employee job descriptions. Each store
runs its composting program differently,
but typically staff in each department
collect compostables in waxed
corrugated cardboard boxes. These
boxes are not recyclable but are
compostable. Using original produce
boxes to collect compostable produce
allows the stores to avoid buying
special collection containers. Staff put
the whole,full box in a compactor,
which is emptied once or twice a
week.
Compactors vary in size, with
the largest holding 20 tons. These
compactors were previously used
for garbage. Because of the high
diversion rate, stores now only
need small dumpsters (12 cubic
yards) for their garbage. A
hauling company takes compacted organics
to a composting site where they are ground
with yard trimmings and windrow
composted. The nutrient-rich finished
compost is screened to remove contaminants.
It is sold to farmers, golf courses,
municipalities, and people involved in land
reclamation.
Shop Rite has no major problems with
odors, vectors, or contamination. The
compost site allows 5% contamination per
load; it rejects highly contaminated loads,
forcing stores to pay the additional costs of
landfill disposal. Compactors are kept locked
until a designated time each day when staff
are directed to unload their compostables.
This allows management to watch and ensure
there are no contaminants.
Rendering companies provide collection
barrels and pick up meat product discards at
no cost.
Contact:
Manager, Environmental Affairs
Wakefern Foods
Shop Rite Supermarkets
33 Northfield Ave.
Edison, NJ 08818
(732) 906-5083
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Tips for Replication
• Analyze your waste management
practices; understand the economics of
your garbage.
• Manage your organics recovery
program on a continuing basis. Pay
attention to it. The process does not
run on its own.
• Train employees well.
Costs/Benefits
Start-up and operating costs for the
organics recovery program are
minimal. Most stores already had
compactors, which they used for
garbage and did not need to buy
collection containers. Stores also avoid
disposal costs for the waxed cardboard
boxes, which are composted along with
organics. There are some costs for
employee training and for
signs explaining the
program. Some stores
have bought and installed
an additional compactor.
Through its food recovery
program, each store avoids
$15,000 to $40,000 per year in disposal
costs. The lower cost avoidance may be
at a smaller store or in an area with a
lower tipping fee. New Jersey Shop Rite
stores pay an average tipping fee of $90
per ton for garbage and $33 per ton for
composting. Hauling fees for garbage
and recovered organics range from $11
to $17 per ton.
Store employees typically live in
the same town as the store in which
they work. Participating in this hands-
on recycling program allows them to
contribute to their community by
reducing its waste stream and
recovering valuable raw materials.
Program Summary, 1997
Sector
$ sales per year*
Start date
Dedicated Employees**
Method
Materials collected
Part of comprehensive waste
reduction program?
Total waste generated (TPY)
Food and other organic discards
generated (TPY)
Supermarket
4.3 billion - Wakefern Food Corp./Shop Rite
Supermarkets
1994; 25 participating stores 1997
0
Off-site windrow composting, private
hauler; rendering
Floral and produce trimmings, out-of-date
food,soiled paper, waxed corrugated
cardboard
Yes
4,167 tons (projected)
3,750 tons (projected)
RESULTS:
Food and other organic discards 3,000 tons (projected)
recovered (TPY)
Food and other organic discards 80%
recovered (%)
Total waste recovered (TPY) 3,750 tons (projected)
COSTS:
Average compost tip fee $33 per ton
Average avoided landfill tip fee $90 per ton
Net savings $57 per ton
* Wakefern Food Corporation is the largest retailer-owned supermarket food cooperative in the United
States, with 190 supermarkets trading under the Shop Rite banner.
** A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
Shop Rite did not need to hire anyone specifically to run this program.
TPY = tons per year
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